Delicacies of Devotion
by silenceeverything
Summary: Sequel to Restraints of Renown. After over two years away from Hollywood, Caleb is trying to readjust to life in the spotlight as he gets back to doing what he loves. But with Hanna back in his arms after a painful two weeks apart, suddenly everything is thrown into turmoil. What happens next will truly test the delicacies of their devotion. Haleb plus Etta. AU, rated T/M.
1. One

_For my loyal readers who stuck with me on the journey that was Restraints of Renown; I said I wanted to write a sequel and here it is._

 _This is a short 10-ish chapter insight into the lives of Hanna and Caleb, about two and a half years after we last left them. For any new readers, I'd recommend you read Restraints before diving into this as it sets the scene as to who Hanna and Caleb are in this AU world. I hope this lives up to all expectations._

 _Enjoy below..._

* * *

 **Delicacies of Devotion**

 **One**

* * *

Hanna Rivers sighed as she felt the American Airlines plane she was on start to descend towards LAX. She was tired beyond belief and the 5-hour flight had done nothing to alleviate how draining her trip to Pennsylvania had been. She was so ready to find her bed and crash; her back had been hurting _before_ they'd gotten on the plane and the seat had done nothing to help – she couldn't wait to just close her eyes and lie on a comfortable mattress. But something told her that wasn't exactly going to happen. And that something was currently latched onto her like no tomorrow.

She couldn't help but sigh as she ran a hand through the blonde hair of the sleeping toddler that was had squished herself into Hanna's side as much as was possible. Four months off her third birthday, Etta Linnea Rivers was the most tiring, testing yet rewarding thing in Hanna's life. She adored pink and princesses, almost as much as she adored her Daddy and she had an endless amount of energy that seemed even more exhausting than usual at the moment.

And that was because she was pregnant.

Seven months, two weeks and six days pregnant. Not that she was counting or anything.

The pregnancy hadn't exactly been a surprise, but when Hanna had fallen pregnant, they hadn't been actively trying for a baby either.

It meant the timing wasn't perfect – after two years away from being in front of the camera, Caleb had just signed up to do two movies back-to-back. The first was a voice-role for an animated film that had wrapped pretty quickly without a crazy impact on his personal life, but the second had proved challenging with the special-effects being more than a little temperamental. It meant Caleb was working long hours and the filming was already being extended. Plus, the paparazzi were _everywhere_.

It was why they'd decided that Hanna would take Etta out to Rosewood for a couple of weeks to get away from the heat of LA. But it had been hard for everyone, especially their little girl - Etta had missed her Daddy beyond belief and no amount of FaceTime calls seemed to make up for not having him there in person – and as the plane started to get lower and lower, she couldn't wait to see her husband.

Etta stirred, half on top of her as her ears began to be affected by the change in altitude. Hanna couldn't help but cringe as she stroked her back comfortingly – Etta had bawled for half-an-hour during takeoff and Hanna did _not_ want the same thing to happen again for landing. "Hi," She whispered soothingly, rubbing her cherubic cheek as she yawned.

Etta scrunched her nose up and buried herself against Hanna's top, her fingers bunching at the material as she desperately tried to cling onto her sleep. "Mama," She started to whimper.

"Shh," Hanna did her best to comfort her, rubbing her ears with her fingers to try and alleviate any uncomfortable pressure that was building. "It's okay, it's okay."

"Ma'am," An airhostess appeared as she began to do a final walk of the plane prior to landing, "She needs to do her seatbelt up for landing."

"Could I get an infant seatbelt and she can go on my lap?"

Hanna watched as the woman assessed the situation, her eyes flickering over Hanna's pregnant belly. "I'm afraid she's too big," She smiled sympathetically, "She'll have to stay in her seat," She added before carrying on down the aisle.

Hanna rolled her eyes, squeezing her daughter tight as she continued to whimper quietly, "Etta," She hushed her, cradling the back of her head, "It's okay baby, I know it hurts," She murmured, leaning forward as quickly as possible to grab a juice box she had in her bag, "Here," She encouraged her, "Drink," She said, holding the straw to her lips.

Etta drank thirstily, her hand still gripping Hanna's top tightly as they continued their final descent. It seemed to help and Hanna was infinitely grateful when they finally touched down and she could pull her baby girl onto her lap. She held her tightly, kissing her hair as they taxied down the runway until they came to a standstill.

Everyone started rushing around them to get off, but Hanna was content to let the rest of first-class disembark before she stood and moved Etta off the plane. "Mommy," The toddler whined, scrambling to be put down, only content when her two feet touched the ground and she was free to walk on her own two feet.

"Etta," Hanna called, holding her hand out for her to take before she ran too far ahead. "Come here bunny," She smiled at her tiredly, grateful when she paused to let her catch up as quickly as she could. For the first time since they'd found out they were expecting, she felt _really_ pregnant. "We've just got to get our bags and then we're seeing Daddy," She said excitedly, squeezing her hand.

"Daddy here?" Etta asked, looking up at Hanna as she shoved her fingers in her mouth.

"Daddy's here, he's right on the other side of the building," She grinned, reaching for her phone that she'd shoved in her pocket to check Caleb was waiting for them.

 _AA have got someone to grab the bags and Dev will pick them up. Text me when you're through, can't wait to see you xxx_

"Daddy is too good to us sometimes," She said in relief, hitching her bag up on her shoulder as she waddled through the airport. "I didn't even have to tell him my back's been hurting all day and he's got Aunty Dev to sort out all our bags."

"Daddy give me kisses," Etta giggled, skipping along beside her as Hanna one-handedly gave Caleb an update on her phone.

"He does," She agreed distractedly, "He loves to give you kisses," She said, gripping Etta's hand slightly harder as she felt her try to run off, "No, no," She murmured, pulling her back, "Not right now."

"Mommy, look!"

"What am I looking at?" Hanna asked her as they made their way through customs, placing a hand on her belly as she felt the baby move a bit.

"Look," Etta pointed in front of them, "Pwetty lights."

"Shit," Hanna muttered to herself as she figured out exactly what her daughter was so entranced with. "Baby, come here," She tried, stopping them both to try and scoop her up.

"No," Etta shook her head violently, doing her best to wrangle herself free.

"Those lights aren't friendly, they're mean bunny," She explained as best as she could. She attempted to pick her up again but the two-year-old squirmed, her faces scrunching up as a temper-tantrum brewed. "Okay, okay," Hanna sighed, closing her eyes in defeat as she felt her back spasm – she didn't have the energy to fight her daughter right now, "You need to hold my hand tight," She said firmly, standing back up straight as she heard her phone ping.

 _Where are you? Are you ok? Paps are here_

 _Bunny_ _'s on the edge_ she replied, trying not to react as she walked through into the main arrivals hall with Etta and flashing cameras were shoved in her face.

"Hanna!"

"Is it a boy?"

"Have you decided on a name?"

"Where's Caleb?"

"Hanna, over here!"

Hanna looked down as Etta lurched forward and she tried not to laugh as she watched her little girl ham it up for the cameras, pulling faces and sticking her tongue out. "What are you doing crazy girl?" She smiled, trying to ignore the people who were starting to stare as they kept walking towards the exit. She hated how Etta was starting to get used to people taking pictures of her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as they finally made their way outside; now she just had to find her husband.

"Han!" She heard a familiar yell before Etta had shrugged her hand off and was sprinting towards the only important guy in her life.

"Etta," Hanna called worriedly, anxiety running through her body as the flashes seemed to get more intense, blinding her vision and paralyzing her in place.

"Han," Suddenly Caleb was appearing with Etta wrapped up in his arms, "I got her," He said, ignoring the paps and everything they were yelling as he pulled his wife into his arms for the first time in 2 weeks.

"I missed you," Hanna felt her emotions run as she buried her face against his neck, the tears starting to fall as everything overwhelmed her. The stress, the relief, the pain, the love she felt Caleb giving out; it all felt too much.

"It's okay," He murmured in her ear, holding her as close as he could with Etta in his arms. "The car's just down here, okay?"

Hanna nodded silently, sniffling against his neck as he started to walk them down towards where he'd pulled the car up. "I hate them," She said, her face still pushed against his neck as they made their way down the sidewalk.

"Me too," He reassured her, pressing a kiss against her hair before he opened up the front passenger door for her, making sure she was okay getting into the seat before he moved to the back to sort out his daughter.

"Daddy," Etta clung to him, shrieking with happiness as he kissed the side of her face.

"I missed you so much," He whispered, peeling her off him to strap into her seat as the paparazzi continued to swarm them.

"No," She reached for him, "Daddy!"

"Shh, shhh," He hushed her as he stroked her hair, checking her seatbelt before he shut the door and made his way round to the driver's side. He wanted to get them out of there as quickly as possible.

"Etta," Hanna turned her body as best as she could as the toddler began to cry with self-pity in her back seat, "Daddy's right here," She rolled her eyes at her amateur dramatics, turning back around in her seat and holding her hand to her head as she felt her forehead pulse.

"Hey," Caleb glanced across at her, reaching his hand across, "Are you okay?" He asked, interlacing their fingers.

"I'm just tired," She smiled slightly, rubbing her bump as the baby kicked. "I hated being away from you."

Caleb smiled at her, grateful when they pulled up to a red light and stopped long enough for him to lean across and give her a meaningful kiss, "I know it was my idea," He started, his hand moving to her bump, "But I am never letting you go for two weeks again."

"I wouldn't agree to it next time," Hanna agreed, her hand rubbing up and down his arm as he drove them down the familiar route from LAX to their home. "I love you."

"I know I love you more," He turned his head and grinned at her.

"Daddeeee," Etta called from the back, interrupting them.

"Tali," He looked in the mirror at her, "Did you go on an airplane with Mommy?"

"In the sky!" She exclaimed, pointing out of the window.

"That's right, we were in the sky," Hanna agreed, "Can you tell Daddy what the airplane was like?"

"Big!"

"What did the nice lady give you?" She prompted her.

Etta gasped excitedly, "Colornin! Daddy I draw," She said, banging her hands excitedly.

"Drew baby," Hanna corrected her, "You drew."

"What did you draw a picture of?" Caleb asked as he shot Hanna a wry grin.

"A bloon," Etta said excitedly, "It was pink and for a pwincess."

"A bloon?" Caleb whispered to Hanna, confused. She was master translator when it came to their daughter.

"A balloon," Hanna shook her head at him, a smile on her face. "We went to a party at the church with my Mom and there were balloons everywhere."

"I wish I'd been there."

Hanna reached out to rub his shoulder comfortingly. She'd wanted him there just as much. "We're home now."

* * *

Caleb couldn't help but grin as he stood on his driveway watching Devon drive towards him. Etta had clung to him ever since he'd pulled her out of her car seat and he had zero complaints. He'd never been away from her for that long before and he'd underestimated how much it had killed him, not being able to read her a bedtime story, not being able to play 'shop' with her, not being able to be her Dad.

"Auny Dev," The blonde toddler squealed, her little hand grasping Caleb's t-shirt excitedly.

"Hi my precious Tali," Devon walked straight over to them, pulling Etta into her arms and squeezing her tight. "Oh, I missed you so much."

"Did you miss Aunty Dev too?" Caleb asked his little girl who only nodded, burying her head against Devon's shoulder before she settled there. "Did you get all the bags?" He asked his assistant, moving to the back of the car to open the trunk.

"Of course," Devon smiled, "I still think Hanna travels light for a stylist."

Caleb snorted, "She was going to Rosewood," He said, pulling out the suitcases, "There's no one to style there."

"Daddy," Etta called, reaching her hands out for him.

"My time is up," Devon pouted, letting Caleb steal her back from her arms.

"She knows who's number one," He insisted, pressing kisses against the side of Etta's face as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Is Han inside?" The brunette asked as she began to wheel the cases towards the front door.

"Yeah," Caleb tried to hide his small grimace; it wasn't very often that he didn't want Devon coming in his house but now was one of them. He could tell Hanna was drained and emotional and he didn't want to have to force her to talk to someone when she probably just wanted to sleep, "But, uh, she's pretty wiped Dev."

"Is she okay?" Devon asked, concern permeating her voice.

"Yeah," Caleb sighed, "It's just been a long day. The paps were crazy at LAX."

Devon sighed too, "Security told me there was a big celeb landing that afternoon - they just got lucky with Hanna."

"Pwetty lights Daddy," Etta called, "Dey were pwetty."

Caleb shot Devon a knowing look, "This is why I took time off." He said pointedly, "I don't want her thinking flashes from paparazzi cameras are pretty lights."

"Pwetty!"

"No," Caleb shook his head gently, "They're not pretty baby."

"Caleb, it was just unlucky," Devon said, "Just try and forget about it," She encouraged him, "You haven't seen your wife for 2 weeks and you're out her moaning at me."

Caleb rolled his eyes but couldn't fight the grin that spread across his face, "You're so annoying."

"Etta, am I annoying?"

"No," Etta shook her head, "Auny Dev come play."

"She can't," Caleb brushed a comforting hand through her hair as she threw him the best puppy dog eyes she could. "Mommy's really tired and Aunty Dev can't play right now, okay?"

"Okay," Etta nodded solemnly, resting her head on Caleb's shoulder.

"The suitcases are just in the hall."

"Thanks Dev," Caleb said, waiting for her to get in the car and reverse out the driveway before he turned and headed inside. He left the luggage where it was and headed straight for the room he knew he'd find his wife in. Sure enough, she'd settled herself right down on their big corner sofa in the family room. They'd move into their current house whilst Hanna had been pregnant with Etta and they'd chosen to buy it because of the view - _again._ Hanna had a vision for everything, and when she'd seen the room on the front of the house, she'd immediately told him they were knocking walls down and installing folding doors that made it feel like inside and outside were the same thing. He hadn't argued with her and it had unsurprisingly become the room they seemed to spend all their time in.

Etta wriggled for the first time to go down, and he watched as she ran over to her toy kitchen in the corner and immediately started pulling fake food out of the cupboards. "She's missed her toys," Hanna said softly as Caleb made his way over to her.

"So have I," He murmured, encouraging her to sit up so that he could slot in behind her, pulling her close against his chest as they lounged contently. "You okay?" He whispered, his hand running under her top to rest on her bump as the other stroked her shoulder.

She nodded and closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling his familiar scent. "My back hurts from the flight," She said quietly.

"You want me to give you a massage?" He asked, his lips pressed against her cheekbone.

"Later," She reached for his hand on her belly and interlaced them, "I want to lay here whilst it's quiet."

"Baby's stopped moving, huh?" He murmured, waiting, hoping for the movement beneath his hand he'd instantly loved the first moment he'd felt it.

Hanna nodded, trying to hide her frown as she felt her back twinge again and her stomach tighten slightly. "They're sleeping," She said tiredly, fighting to keep her eyes open, "Maybe the flight knocked them out too."

"Daddy!" Etta yelled, jolting both Hanna and Caleb.

"What?" He asked, smiling as she held up a wooden toy pan, "Are you making us dinner?" He said as she ran over, nodding up at him with a grin on her face.

"Mommy, I make a egg," She said, scrambling up onto the sofa.

"You made an egg for dinner?" Hanna smiled gently, helping her little girl as she climbed on top of her. She was precocious and full of energy most of the time, but she also _loved_ her cuddles with whoever wanted to show her love. And most recently, she seemed to have found a second home on top of Hanna's bump. "Are you comfy?" She whispered in Etta's ear as she settled right on top of her, her body curving around her belly as she rested her head on her Mommy's shoulder and snuggled into her.

"Etta, do you want a brother or a sister?" Caleb asked quietly, running a hand through her blonde crazy curls as a pair of brown almond-shaped eyes looked up at him.

"A brova!" She exclaimed, grabbing onto a piece of Hanna's hair.

"Why do you want a brother?" He said, burying his nose against Hanna's hair as he simply enjoyed being with his girls again.

"Do you like spending time with Ozzy?" Hanna encouraged her, not missing the smile that crossed Etta's face as she brought up Jason and Aria's three-year-old son.

"Yeah," Etta nodded sweetly, "Ozzy is fun."

"He is fun," Hanna murmured, kissing her forehead as she settled back down on her shoulder. They were quiet for a moment, taking each other in until Etta squirmed to get back down to go and play again. Hanna was somewhat grateful; she no longer had to mar the state of her back.

"I know you want it to be a surprise," Caleb started as they both watched their daughter create some imaginary scenario in her head, "But it would help with things like names if we knew whether it's a boy or a girl."

Hanna sighed and turned on her side slightly, blinking her eyes shut as she felt the pain in her spine again, "Caleb…" She started, her voice trailing off as his hand rubbed her back soothingly.

"I can't help it," He smiled, his lips pressing against the side of her face.

"Caleb…"

"Seriously," He said, "Thinking about you and Tali and baby names are the only thing that kept me going through the past two weeks. I cannot wait to wrap filming and be here with you and our baby."

" _Caleb_ ," She gasped, gripping his shoulder tightly as she tried to sit up.

"What?" He sat up with her, brushing her hair behind her ear as she buried herself against his neck, her fingers curling into his skin as she breathed through an intense bout of pain. "Hanna, what's wrong?"

"My back," She blinked heavily and wiped at her eyes as she felt the tears well again. "It hurts."

"You want to go to the hospital?" He asked tenderly as his hands ran over her upper back, doing everything he could to soothe her. "You're only seven-and-a half-months, Han."

"No," She whimpered and shook her head.

"That's okay," He whispered, holding her tight. He trusted her judgement implicitly. "We don't have to go," He said, "It's probably just the flight messing with your body."

She sniffled and nodded, pushing herself to stand up, "I need the toilet," She explained, her voice still full of emotion as she wiped at her nose with the back of her hand.

"Okay," He agreed, standing up too and cupping her cheeks, "When you come back, I'm giving you that massage, no buts."

She nodded up at him silently before heading out of the room and down the hallway, leaving Caleb stood there more than a little concerned. It wasn't often Hanna got herself into a state like the one she was in.

"Daddy," Etta called, breaking his thoughts again.

"What?" He growled playfully, striding over and scooping her up to blow a raspberry against her neck. "Are you happy that you're back home?"

"L-A!" She cheered, throwing her hands up in the air.

"That's right, LA is our home," He agreed, kissing her cheek repeatedly, "And I am so glad that you and Mommy are here. I missed you so much."

"Caleb," Hanna had reappeared in the doorway, her hand on her bump as the other cradled her back.

"That was quick," He smiled, "Feel better?" He asked, placing Etta on the floor and heading straight for her.

"No," She cried, burying herself against his chest, "I don't."

"Han," He started, his eyes full of concern as he took her in, "What's wrong? You can tell me," He tried, "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"

She pulled back and looked up into his brown orbs that were identical to her daughters, "No," She shook her head and whimpered, "I need to go to the hospital."

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 _Review? xoxo_


	2. Two

**Wow, thank you for such a warm and kind response to the first chapter I'm so glad you're all here for the sequel!**

 **You are continuously loyal and I am forever in your debt.**

 **Time to get things moving along. Enjoy below...**

* * *

 **Two**

* * *

Caleb Rivers felt nothing but anxiousness as he sat in a hospital room in Cedars-Sinai next to his wife late on Saturday evening. The relief he'd felt at finally having her home after 2 weeks apart had quickly turned to despair when she'd stood in front of him, crying and telling him they needed to go to the hospital.

That was just over an hour ago and ever since then his brain had gone into complete emergency mode. He'd someone how found enough focus to guide Hanna to the car with Etta in his arms, strapping their baby girl back into her seat before running inside to grab the hospital bag that Hanna had only just packed before she'd gone to Rosewood. The drive had been nerve-wracking too, but he'd tried to concentrate on the road as Hanna had called ahead to let their Doctor know that they were coming in.

They'd headed up to the Birthing Center as soon as they'd arrived, Hanna wrapped around Caleb's waist as he carried Etta in his arms. She was confused why they weren't at home, but Caleb's last minute decision to throw in her dolly meant she was at least entertained in the short term. He was grateful that she was distracted, because he needed to focus every ounce of his energy on Hanna as she was hooked up to various machines and had her vitals taken. The nurses were kind and their words nice enough, but Caleb wasn't afraid to admit that he was on edge until the sweet sound of their baby's heartbeat filled the room.

And then as they were left alone for a minute, with the sound of the life they'd created filling the room, suddenly everything seemed okay.

"How you feeling?" Caleb leant forward and murmured to Hanna, brushing her hair back from her face as she smiled at him. She was as relieved as he was.

"Better," She agreed, running her hand along his arm before she laced their fingers, "I love hearing their heartbeat," She said gently. The pain in her back had dulled and she wondered if she had overreacted – maybe it was just the flight that had caused her body and mind to freak out.

"Me too," Caleb grinned, his hand deviating down to touch her bump. "You know we only have like 8 weeks to go and we haven't even started the nursery."

Hanna sighed, stealing his hand back again, "I know," She smiled back at him, "But I thought about it a lot when I was back home."

"And?" He teased her, pressing a gentle kiss against Etta's hair.

"I just want to keep it white."

"Just white?" He asked, slightly surprised.

She nodded, her own hand moving to her belly as she felt the baby kick, "I think once they're here, we can add more colour to it," She explained her logic, "But they'll be with us for the first few months anyway."

"That's true," He sighed.

"Daddy," Etta held up her dolly, interrupting them.

"Etta, what colour should we paint your baby brother or sister's room?" He asked her, holding her waist tightly against him as she laid her head on his chest.

"Pink," She said, "Or green."

"Green?" Caleb tickled her belly as a nurse walked into the room.

"Hanna, we're just going to take your blood pressure again," She said, moving round to Hanna's side.

"Again?" The blonde asked, sitting up a little bit taller, a little bit more anxious.

The nurse smiled, "We think the first cuff we used might be broken so I just want to try this one."

"Okay," Hanna agreed, becoming distracted as Etta reached forward to climb on the bed.

"Careful," Caleb stood and murmured, moving a bit closer to his girls as he sensed Hanna's trepidation.

"Mommy, what's dat?" Etta asked, pointing at the cuff around her arm.

"It says how the blood feels inside me," Hanna explained, wrapping her free arm around her as the little girl curled around her bump tiredly.

"Does it feel happy?" She said, reaching up to play with a piece of Hanna's hair.

"We're about to find out," She smiled, kissing her forehead.

"How's it looking?" Caleb asked, watching the nurse as she blinked at the machine.

"I just want to do it one more time," The nurse said, scribbling down the numbers in Hanna's file. "It's coming back very high and you've had no history of high blood pressure in either this pregnancy or your previous one."

"I had an appointment before I flew to Rosewood and it was normal then," Hanna said, tension starting to creep into her body.

"That was two weeks ago," Caleb added, running a comforting hand through Hanna's hair.

"I know," The nurse tried to smile at them reassuringly before she released the cuff on Hanna's arm and wrote down the numbers again, "Sometimes these things can change overnight with no explanation," She explained, "We've paged Dr. S and she's on her way up from a delivery," The nurse added, "She'll be right in, in a minute," She smiled again before leaving the three of them to it.

"Caleb," Hanna looked up at him, her voice full of worry as tears welled in her eyes, "What if something's wrong with them?"

"Hey," He stroked her cheek, leaning down to press a kiss against her lips, "They're gonna be fine, okay? It's just high blood pressure."

"Okay," She nodded, holding Etta just that little bit tighter as the door opened again and Dr. Abigail Spearman walked in.

"Hi guys," She smiled, heading to the foot of the bed to pick up Hanna's file. She looked at the numbers and assessed her vitals before she spoke, "Okay Hanna, I know you were feeling some pain in your back and you wanted to come in and get checked over."

Hanna nodded, "They felt like contractions."

"Well your cervix is still closed, so you're not in labour," She reassured the young woman. "I'm just going to take this one more time," She said, reaching for the blood pressure gage again. They were silent as Dr. Spearman watched the machine. She sighed when it was done and took it off Hanna's arm, putting it away. "Hanna you have extremely high blood pressure," She explained, "I know at your last appointment we were looking normal and healthy but right now you're at serious risk of a condition called preeclampsia."

"Pre-a-what?"

"Preeclampsia," The Doctor repeated, "It causes the flow of blood to the placenta to be reduced and it means that baby isn't getting enough nutrients to grow. The biggest symptoms are high blood pressure and protein in your urine."

Caleb swallowed, squeezing Hanna's hand tightly, "And Hanna has it?"

"We don't know yet," She said, "But we are going to do to ask Hanna to give us a urine sample and we're going to do a blood test as well."

"Is it... curable?" Hanna gulped.

"We can absolutely do things to lower your blood pressure," The brunette nodded, "But let's wait for the test results to come back before we start talking next steps," She tried to reassure them. We want to keep that baby cooking."

"Baby is my brover," Etta giggled, sitting up and poking Hanna's belly.

Caleb smiled at her, his heart instantly settling as his little girl unknowingly eased the tension in the room, "It could be your sister too," He said, rubbing her back.

"I thought girls usually wanted a sister," Dr. Spearman smiled, writing a few notes in Hanna's file.

Hanna sighed, running her hands through Etta's hair as she rested her head on her bump, "Our best friends have a boy and she loves playing with him."

Dr. Spearman sent Hanna another reassuring smile before she left them to it, with the promise that she'd be back shortly to do her blood test. Hanna took a nervous breath – this wasn't what she'd expected when Caleb had agreed to take her to the hospital, but she had a bad feeling about everything. This wasn't normal.

"Everything's gonna be okay," Caleb murmured, leaning down to rest his forehead on hers before he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Hanna nodded, biting her lip, wishing she could believe him. But this nagging feeling wouldn't go away and she didn't want Etta anywhere near if things started to take a turn for the worse, "I think we need to call your Mom."

Caleb nodded. He completed agreed. "I think we need to call _your_ Mom too."

* * *

For the next couple of hours everything passed in a blur. Hanna was poked and prodded as her blood was taken and she gave the nurses a urine sample and it wasn't until Dr. Spearman came in and told them that Hanna did in fact have severe preeclampsia that the gravity of the situation hit home. They kept it together whilst Etta was awake but as soon as the toddler fell asleep on the sofa underneath Caleb's coat that Hanna let her emotions flow.

Caleb held her as she cried; cried for herself; cried for their baby.

And that was exactly how Claudia Dawson found them as she opened the door to their hospital room.

"Mom," Caleb's voice broke as she made her way over to them.

"Honey," She said, rushing over to him, pulling him into her arms for a tight hug before she made her way to Hanna who was lying in bed, hooked up to a few different machines with an IV in her arm. "Hey sweetheart," She murmured, stroking her hair as any mother would do, "You're gonna be alright," She said comfortingly, "And so is the baby you're keeping safe in there."

Hanna nodded tearily, wiping at her eyes before Claudia enveloped her in a hug. "I'm scared," She whispered as Caleb came round to her other side, immediately reaching out to try and comfort her.

"But you're brave," Claudia replied tenderly, taking a seat as Hanna turned to Caleb, closing her eyes as Caleb's fingers brushed her cheek. "So what's the doctor said?" She eventually asked, standing and moving to press a kiss against Etta's head as she slept before she sat back down in her seat.

Caleb took a deep breath as Hanna opened her eyes and tangled their hands together, "We are on saline and magnesium sulfate with regular checks of protein levels, blood pressure and baby's vitals."

"And have they said how long you have to be in here?"

"Yeah," Caleb choked, fighting back the tears as Hanna started to cry into her pillow, "Because of Han's blood pressure, they think we're gonna have to stay here until delivery."

"But you're only…"

"Almost 31 weeks," Hanna sniffled.

"They're hoping to keep the baby in there as long as possible, but it depends how Hanna reacts to the magnesium."

Claudia understood. She didn't need to ask any more questions. "I'm here to help however," She said, "Do you want me to call Ashley?"

"I already have," Caleb told her, glancing over at Etta. "She's booked a flight first thing tomorrow morning," He took a deep breath, "I need to call Dev and Robbo," He frowned, thinking about the movie set he was supposed to be on in 36 hours time, "But we don't want Tali staying here."

"Of course," Claudia nodded. "I can take her back to your house and stay with her."

Caleb sighed and looked over at Etta again, rubbing his lips together as she stirred underneath his jacket and woke up, clearly disorientated.

"Mommy," She called, her eyes scrunching up as she started to cry.

"Hey," Caleb stood and moved over to her, scooping her up and cradling her against his shoulder, "It's okay," He kissed the side of her head, "We're right here."

"Daddy," She whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly.

"I'm here," He reassured her, sitting back down on the chair next to Hanna's bed wit her tucked up in his arms.

"She's jet lagged and tired," Hanna said quietly, reaching a hand out to stroke Etta's back.

"Hey bunny," Caleb started, "Nana's here," He said, encouraging her to turn her head to look at Claudia.

"Nana," Etta gasped albeit tiredly, pushing herself down from Caleb's lap to walk over to her.

"Hi big girl," Claudia grinned, pulling her onto her lap so that she could shower her face with kisses. "Did you have fun with Grammy in Rosewood?" She asked, her voice full of wonder as Etta nodded.

"We played with the bloons and, and, and Grammy took us to the zoo."

"The zoo?" Claudia teased her, "What animals did you see?"

"A zebra and a me-kat."

"She loved the meerkats," Hanna smiled for the first time since Claudia had arrived. "Are you sleepy bunny?" She asked, reaching out to touch her daughter as she yawned.

Etta nodded, twisting her body so that she could climb onto the bed, just as she had earlier. "Mommy what is this?" She asked, reaching for Hanna's IV line.

"It's a special wire that's sending all these good things inside my body."

"Can I have one?"

"No," Hanna shook her head, stroking her tiny belly as it peeked out from her top, "You need to be big to have one."

"I'm two," She said, holding up two fingers.

"You are," Hanna nodded, "But you need to be much bigger."

"Tali," Caleb leant propped his face in his hands as he leant forward and watched his daughter. "What do you think about having a sleepover with Nana at home?"

"Fun," The little girl said, completely distracted by the IV in Hanna's hand.

"Nana's going to take you home to go and sleep because she's tired," Hanna added, stealing Etta's hands to press kisses against them. "Can you be a big girl and go with her?" She asked, smiling as Etta nodded at her. "Kiss," She pouted, holding her baby girl close as her lips trailed down her face until she began to blow a raspberry against her neck.

"Mommy," Etta squealed before yawning again as she released her, rubbing her eyes tiredly as Caleb stole her from Hanna and gave her a kiss.

"I love you," He whispered, inhaling her smell. "Sleep tight baby," He kissed her, standing up and holding her over Hanna so that she could do the same before he nodded at his Mom and walked with her towards the door.

"Text me sweetheart," Claudia said to him, "If you want me to bring her back tomorrow or if you're coming home, then just let me know."

"Thanks Mom."

"Stay strong," She told him, "You need to be there for her."

Caleb held the bridge of his nose, trying to hold back the tears, "I'm scared," He whispered, "I have no idea what's going to happen."

"Both of them are going to be just fine," She reassured him, "Hold her tight and she can do anything."

* * *

Caleb hardly slept.

Because of the high doses of magnesium sulfate that was being pumped into Hanna's body to prevent her form having a stroke or seizure, it seemed like the nurses were constantly in and out of their room, checking her blood pressure and reflexes and her lungs. Add to that with the amount of liquid entering Hanna's body and a baby pressing on her bladder, she was up every 45 minutes to go the toilet.

As they moved through the night, Caleb could tell that the drugs were having more and more of an effect and it wasn't necessarily the right one. Hanna kept waking up, telling him she felt dizzy and confused and sometimes her vision was blurry. The nurses reassured him that it was normal because of the way the magnesium affected her nervous system but it still made him uneasy and he struggled to completely switch off. The only thing he found comforting was the sound of their baby's heartbeat that the nurses seemed to check once in a while.

He glanced at his watch - 8am.

Maybe he could try and get another hour of sleep in, he thought, brushing a hand through Hanna's hair. He was just about to close his eyes again when the door opened and Dr. Spearman appeared. "Hi," She smiled at him, pushing her glasses off her nose as she made her way over to the bed, "How are you both feeling?"

"Shattered," Caleb said honestly, rubbing his hand down his face. "I don't think I slept for more than 4 hours in total."

Dr. Spearman looked at him sympathetically, "You have to think that it's good practice for when baby gets here."

Caleb sighed and sent her a smile, "Yeah," He agreed quietly, stroking Hanna's hand to try and rouse her. She stirred as he expected, murmuring something that sounded like 'no more checks' before she opened her eyes. "Hey," He whispered, leaning down to press a gentle kiss against her lips, "Dr. S is here."

"Is everything okay?" Hanna said quietly. "Have more tests come back?"

Abigail nodded, "We've been tracking your blood pressure through the night," She explained and the magnesium doesn't seem to having much of an effect."

"What else can we do?" Caleb asked, helping Hanna as she tried to sit up a little more.

"Right now I'm only comfortable with one thing," She explained, "And that's delivering the baby."

"But..." Hanna felt her bottom lip wobble. "They're too small."

"Hanna I know this is really scary but right now this is the safest thing for you and for the baby." Dr Spearman tried to explain, "We're going to give you an injection that'll help mature the baby's lungs and that's going to take 24 hours to take effect."

"Will they be okay?" She sniffled, wiping at her eye.

"We have the best doctors in the country here to look after them as soon as they get here."

Hanna nodded tearily. Deep down she understood. This was what was best.

"So they're going to be here... this week?" Caleb confirmed, his mind whirring at a million miles an hour. His thoughts were consumed with Hanna and their baby and the movie he was filming, the set he was supposed to be on in less than 36 hours... Etta, God his little girl who was supposed to be getting excited for her baby brother or sister to arrive with both of them at home. This was supposed to be about them and their family and growing together. It was supposed to be one of the best moments of his life and yet right now that was the exact opposite of how he felt.

"Caleb," Dr. Spearman started. "They're going to be here in about 2 days."

* * *

Time for baby Rivers 2 to make an appearance. Review? If you're logged in you'll get a sneak preview revealing bubba's gender Xox


	3. Three

**It's been a while. Sorry about that, but I've caught some feels recently.**

 **Enjoy below...**

* * *

 **Three**

* * *

"One more push Hanna."

"One more."

"You can do it."

"You're doing so well."

"Come on Hanna."

"Just one more."

The voices of all the delivery staff in the room blurred as Hanna tried to focus on exactly what she should have been doing. After another day of magnesium drips whilst the steroids she was given developed her baby's lungs, she'd been induced on Monday morning. It hadn't taken long for the drugs to do their job and she'd laboured quickly, still experiencing bouts of dizziness and feeling confused at some points as to what was going on. Everything had happened so quickly, it was hard to fathom that she was delivering a baby less than 3 days after landing back in LA.

She'd have been more confused if Caleb wasn't there, but he was and so was her Mom who'd flown over as soon as Caleb had called her. And she knew somewhere in the room, Dr. Spearman was there making sure she was doing things right, making sure the baby was okay. In the past few minutes though, she'd started to feel more and more out of it after almost half an hour of pushing. She just wanted all of this to be over.

"Caleb," She murmured through the pain, wanting to know he was as close as possible.

"I'm right here," He promised, squeezing her hand as she felt his lips brush against her forehead, "One more baby," He whispered, holding her face, "I promise just one more and our baby will be here."

She trusted him implicitly and used what little energy she had left to muster one more push, feeling their baby leave her body before she collapsed back against the pillows of the bed. "You did it," Caleb swallowed, his heart racing as he looked down at Dr. Spearman who was quickly cutting the umbilical chord, a sigh of complete relief leaving his body as the baby started crying and using their lungs with a little help from the doctor.

"We need to go straight to NICU," Dr. Spearman instructed the midwives who were on hand with a heated preemie isolette ready and waiting, placing the baby straight into their trusted care before they disappeared.

"Are they okay?" Hanna plucked up the energy to ask as she caught her breath, wanting nothing more than to breakdown and sob at the thought of not even getting to touch her new baby.

"Hanna, because your baby was born so early we've taken them straight to the NICU so make sure they're getting all the right support they need," The doctor explained as Caleb looked at her anxiously, "But congratulations," She smiled, "You have a baby boy."

"A boy?" Hanna began to cry, light relief seeping through her body. Etta had wanted a brother.

"A boy," Abigail confirmed, a smile on her face, "And the fact that he was breathing on his own is a great sign."

"Etta was dying for a brother," Hanna whimpered, turning her face into Caleb's body as he held her as she cried. This all felt surreal, giving birth and not having her baby there with her.

"She got just what she wanted," Caleb smiled, pressing his lips against her hair. He had a daughter, he had a son. He had the best of both worlds and it was all down to one person. "I'm so proud of you Han."

"Caleb you may be able to go down to see him now whilst we sort Hanna out," Dr. Spearman said, unaware of Caleb whispering to his wife.

"Erm... I should stay..."

Ashley Marin spoke for the first time as she observed the torn look on her son-in-law's face, "I'll be here," She reassured him, "And I'm good enough, right sweetheart?"

Hanna nodded, squeezing Caleb's hand as he leant down to press a tender kiss against her wet lips. "I'll take pictures of him, okay?" She nodded again silently at his words, not wanting him to go but unable to articulate her thoughts. She wanted him right here with her, but she could see he was dying to go and see his son. "I love you," He murmured as the door to Hanna's room opened.

"Jane," Abigail called to the nurse who'd just entered, "Can you take Caleb down to NICU? We've just taken baby down there but he was breathing on his own so I think Dad should be able to see him."

"Of course," The older woman smiled, holding the door open for Caleb. He kissed Hanna one final time before he moved towards her, nervous excitement filling his body as he sent another glance in Hanna's direction until he disappeared out of sight.

"We'll get you down to see him as soon as possible Hanna," Dr. Spearman started, "But right now let's get you sorted out."

"Did you see him?" Hanna asked her Mom, wiping her eyes as she felt the minor contractions that came with the afterbirth.

"I saw a glimpse of his face," Ashley stroked her hair, "He looked so handsome."

"He definitely looked like Daddy," Abigail added, trying to distract Hanna as she finished off the delivery, "You're going to have to fight to keep the girls away from him."

Hanna sniffled, squeezing her Mom's hand. "Not if he's like Caleb," She whispered, "He was always good."

"He still is," Ashley smiled as Abigail and a nurse moved around at the foot of Hanna's bed and began to clean her up. "Everyone knows he's only got eyes for you and Etta."

Hanna closed her eyes, the comforting feeling of her Mom's fingers in her hair soothing and relaxing her. "I want to sleep," She mumbled, turning her head into the pillow.

"Can she?" Ashley look over at the doctor.

"She's fine to rest."

"Close your eyes," Ashley whispered, her fingers still combing through Hanna's blonde locks. "When you wake up you can go see that handsome baby of yours."

* * *

Down the hallway, Caleb had raced with the nurse towards NICU. He couldn't believe it - he had a son. He felt this overwhelming feeling of love that was indistinguishably laced with worry and anxiousness and uncertainty. Half of him wanted to be with Hanna, half of him wanted to be right here, hurrying through the floor with Jane telling him how great babies born at 31 weeks did.

"Okay," Jane guided them to a stop outside a door next to a window that Caleb could clearly see multiple incubators through, "This is it Caleb," She said, "When you go in it's going to seem really overwhelming but Sandy and Nina are the nurses in there and they're going to get you used to everything and show you your little boy."

"Okay," Caleb swallowed nervously as Jane let him in. He was immediately greeted by one of the women, not hearing Jane saying goodbye as Nina took over and made him wash his hands thoroughly. He was struggling to take it all in; the bright lights, the constant beeping, the sheer number of machines and wires that seemed to be hooked up to each plastic box.

"You ready to meet him, Caleb?" Nina asked, sending him a reassuring smile as she sensed his trepidation. "He's got a lot of wires and machines hooked up to him but they're all just playing their part in making sure he's as healthy as possible."

"I'm ready," He muttered. He had to be strong - for Hanna, for his newborn son, for Etta.

"Okay," Nina guided him across the room to where Sandy was checking over their latest arrival to NICU. "Here he is."

Caleb had no words - nothing would come out of his mouth - as his eyes settled on his son. He was so small with wires up his nose and lines attached to his hands, his umbilical chord still clamped. All of it was too much and he felt his eyes watering as the sheer enormity of the situation hit home. He'd just got Hanna back after two weeks apart; they were supposed to be picking out names, decorating the nursery with Etta screaming about how she wanted a brother. They weren't supposed to be here. Not like this.

"He's tiny," He finally said, placing his hands on the clear plastic of the incubators once he'd wiped his eyes.

"He's small," Nina agreed, "But he's a great weight for his gestational age."

"What are his stats?" Caleb sniffled, pulling his phone out, "Han will want to know."

"We've got him down as 4 pounds and 3 ounces," Nina smiled encouragingly, "And 16 inches long," She added, "So he's a big little guy for his age."

"Can I touch him?" Caleb practically begged, shoving his phone in his pocket.

"Of course," Sandy agreed, "Just wash your hands one final time," She told him, walking him over to the sink to make sure he did it properly before she guided him back to the isolette and opened up one of the arm holes.

Caleb's hands were shaking as he lifted one and put it through into the heated box. This was it. He was touching his son for the first time, he thought as he let one of his fingertips brush over the wrist that wasn't hooked up to an IV. It looked like it would snap in half if Caleb put any pressure on it, so he moved his finger away, trailing up the baby's arm until he was gently stroking his cheek. "What's everything for?" He asked, desperate to know as much as possible. Everything was so foreign and yet he hd this undying urge to be as familiar as possible with what was going on so that he could protect his son.

"This is his oxygen tube," Sandy pointed at the tiny nasal cannula, "He was breathing on his own so we think his lungs are in a pretty good shape but we'll monitor him hour by hour to make sure he's getting enough oxygen."

"When will he be able to come off it?" Caleb asked quietly, still simply trying to take everything in.

"It's impossible to say," Sandy said, "We'll let him breathe by himself as soon as we know he's ready," She explained, "These right here are measuring his heart rate," She pointed at the little heart shaped sticker on the baby's chest alongside another one, "And he has an IV in to make sure we can provide fluid and any medicines he needs."

"Hanna," He started, "My wife," He clarified, "She was going to breastfeed him."

"He won't be able to feed properly for about 3 weeks," Sandy explained, "He needs to be strong enough to breathe and swallow at the same time but the best thing for him right now is Hanna's milk," She added, trying to provide some form of normalcy, "I will make sure a nurse comes and sees your wife once she's had time to recover and we can get her pumping milk for him."

Caleb nodded, moving his hand over the baby's chest and simply absorbing the feeling so his chest rising and falling against his palm. "Hi," Caleb whispered, suddenly unsure as to what to say. It had been so different with Etta - he'd never forget the moment she was placed on Hanna's chest, both him and her spending the next 5 minutes crying and saying hello. "You're gonna be okay," He murmured, "And your Mama," He choked up a little, "She's gonna be in here as soon as she can telling you how much she loves you."

The baby shakily moved his legs before jerking his arms.

"He knows your voice," Sandy comforted him, "Keep talking to him. I'll leave you two to it for a while."

"Can I take some pictures of him?"

"Sure," Sandy nodded, "No flash though," She added, "I'll be just over there if you need me."

Caleb smiled at her gratefully; no one had said anything explicitly but he knew that their baby would be here for a while and at the moment, his son's life depended on Nina and Sandy giving him the best care. He had a funny feeling he'd be getting to know both of them pretty well. He'd want to spend as much time here as possible.

Crap he suddenly thought. He needed to get on a call with Devon, Robbo and Susie. They'd had a long phone call the day before about what was going on and Robbo had immediately got onto the director of Caleb's latest movie, Kenny, explaining that he'd be unable to come in to shoot on the Monday. Kenny was a friend of Caleb's anyway, so he knew he'd understand... but he also had a film to make and a studio wanting a return. Right now, Caleb saw no other option than to put filming on hold for at least a month and that was an entirely other conversation that he could bet money on, wouldn't go down well.

Right now though, in that moment, he had to focus on his son and ensuring he took enough pictures and videos to make Hanna feel like she knew a little part of their baby too. "Hey buddy," He whispered, "We're taking a video for your Mama," He murmured stroking his thumb across his stomach as the other hit record on his phone. "Baby Rivers," He said softly, "Not even one hour old and already looking handsome."

He zoomed in on his face and made sure he got a few videos before moving onto the mini photo shoot he somehow ended up directing. He'd lost track of the time as he focused on his newborn son, talking to him, telling him all about his big sister and his Mama before he eventually checked the time. He'd been there longer than he'd thought and he knew he had to get back to Hanna, despite the fact that the thought alone of leaving his son behind was almost killing him; the challenge of balancing parenthood with being the best partner to his wife just seemed to have got ten times harder. "I'm gonna be back as soon as possible," He continued to speak in hushed tones, "And hopefully your Mama can come too. And we can't forget your sister too; but were gonna have to watch that she doesn't freak you out with all her kisses she wants to give out."

"Are you going Caleb?" Nina walked over as she noticed Caleb pulling his hand out.

"Uh, yeah," He nodded, "I need to go and make sure Hanna's okay. I feel like I just left her."

"She would have wanted you here with him, I'm sure," Nina said, sending him a warm smile. "A couple of things before you go," She started, checking the baby boy's stats, "We're pretty much open to visitors 24/7 but there may be times when we ask you to step out if we need to tend to one of the babies."

"Of course," Caleb nodded understandingly - he got what she was saying, and if something was wrong with his boy, he'd want people to step out too.

"Like Sandy said earlier, we'll make sure someone comes to talk to Hanna about how she can feed him."

"Great."

"And one last thing," She smiled again, emanating a happiness that only reassured him that everything would be alright. "Do you and Hanna have a name picked out? Or are we just calling him baby Rivers for now?"

Caleb let out a sigh as a smile graced his face, "You know, we haven't even thought about it. Well," He corrected himself, "I've thought about it... but not together. We're always running around after our little girl and this pregnancy seems to have just passed in a week so I have a list but Han hasn't even seen it yet, let alone pull that face when I've said something she thinks is completely stupid."

"That's okay," Nina shook her head and laughed a little, "I am told all the time that the second one goes pretty quickly," She smiled, "Is your daughter looking forward to being a big sister?" She asked as they made their way towards the door.

"Oh yeah," Caleb couldn't help but roll his eyes, "She has been dying for a brother ever since we told her Han was pregnant."

"Well, we'll make sure she can come and see him too."

"Thanks," He sighed, the gravity of the situation suddenly hitting home again.

"I know it seems like this is all a blur," Nina started, "And I'm not going to lie to you, there will be ups and downs," She added, "But your little guy is one of the best 31-weekers I've seen."

"Thank you," Caleb said sincerely, "I feel like I'm gonna be saying that a lot but seriously, thank you for letting me see him."

"That's our job," Nina smiled, "We'll see you and your wife later, okay?"

Caleb nodded silently, rubbing his lips together. He just wanted Hanna there. He thanked Nina one last time before he was back walking the halls of Cedars-Sinai towards the private room where he hoped Hanna was getting some rest. The magnesium she'd been on had really messed up her body and he couldn't think of a time when he'd seen her so going through such a prolonged period of pain. She was his hero and he was going to tell her that over and over, he mused as he reached for the handle to her room.

"Caleb," Ashley looked up from her seat next to Hanna's bed as soon as he opened the door. "How is he?" She stood up, taking a few steps away from the bed.

He walked straight towards her and pulled her into a tight hug, both of them willing each other to keep their emotions under control as they eventually stood back. "He's tiny," Caleb took a shaky breath, "I've never seen a baby that small," He swallowed, "But he's so perfect," He let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding.

"Did you take any pictures?" Ashley asked eagerly, desperate to get another glimpse of her new grandchild.

"Yeah," Caleb reached for his phone in his pocket to make sure it was there, "But I really want Hanna to see them first," He glanced over at his wife who was fast asleep on the bed, "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is," She rubbed his arms, "Of course."

"How long's she been asleep?" He asked, moving over towards the bed and taking a seat as close to Hanna as possible, starting to run his hand gently through her hair.

"She fell asleep almost as soon as you left." Ashley sat down on the other side, "They helped get her comfortable and then I think all the adrenaline disappeared and she was begging to close her eyes."

"Have you spoken to anyone?" He asked quietly, his fingers still combing through Hanna's hair. "I really need to call people."

"I spoke to your Mom and told her that he was here safely," Ashley said, rubbing a hand down Hanna's arm, "But I asked her not to say anything to Etta until you were ready."

"Thanks," He smiled gratefully before sighing deeply, running a tense hand through his hair. "I'm supposed to be on set tomorrow," He closed his eyes, shaking his head a little, "I'm gonna ask them to postpone filming which is I know is just gonna go down like a lead balloon."

"Surely they'll understand?" Ashley asked; despite how long her daughter had been with Caleb, the world of Hollywood was still a mystery to her. No amount of mingling with the A-listers on the occasional red carpet could help her 'get' it.

"They'll understand a week," He agreed, "But not a month or two."

"What if they say no?" She said, almost not wanting to hear the answer. She knew her daughter would need Caleb now more than ever. She'd experienced how much he was working when Hanna had been staying with her for two weeks, only speaking to Caleb after 8pm when he was done filming for the day and the thought of that happening right now, just when they'd had their baby prematurely made her want to shed a tear.

"They won't have a choice if I refuse to come in." He muttered, sending her a knowing look, "I need to be here."

"Caleb?" Hanna stirred, blinking her eyes open as the sound of his voice filtered through her ears. He sounded angry and she didn't know why or who he was angry at.

"Hey baby," He hushed, standing up to get even closer to her, "I'm right here," He added, pressing a gentle kiss against her lips.

"Where did you go?" She asked, reaching a tired hand up to him. The magnesium was still being pumped into her body and it was obviously having an effect as she came round.

"I went to see our baby," He told her quietly, gently, as she rolled onto her back, "He's so gorgeous Han," His voice trembled before he forced himself to compose his emotions, "I took a video and some pictures for you," He added, "You want to see him?"

Hanna nodded, waiting for Caleb to perch on the side of the bed and hold his phone in front of her.

"Here he is," Caleb smiled, hitting play on the video he'd taken earlier, his voice filling the room as Hanna's eyes lingered on the rectangular glass that was lit up. He was half watching too, half watching her just to see if she'd smile the way he hoped she would.

But Hanna could feel his eyes on her and so she just stared at the screen, her emotions swirling as she tried to figure out exactly what she was feeling. She was a Mom again and all the hormones running around inside of her were telling her this wasn't right. She felt like a complete failure; she'd been unable to do what every mother should and deliver a healthy baby. It was her fault that he was there with all those wires and machines around him, with something stuck up his nose to help him breathe.

And that was when she realised how she felt. A failure.

And as Caleb's video zoomed into her baby's tiny face it was suddenly all too much.

She began to cry into the pillow, crying for her baby, crying for herself, crying for the final stages of her pregnancy that was mourning. She wanted to go back two weeks ago when everything was great. She'd been happy and pregnant and everything had been perfect at her checkup before she got on a plane to Rosewood. She was doing every right, taking both her babies out of LA to relax before they came back to plan for the beginning of the next chapter with her husband who should finally have had a reasonable shooting schedule.

But that had all been ripped out from underneath her. She was grieving for everything that had been taken away so cruelly and she was punishing herself for being unable to ensure her baby was healthy.

"He's going to be okay," Caleb tried his best to stop her crying, "I know you want him here and I do too. But he needs all the special care the nurses can give him," He added softly, "Sandy and Nina, they're the two nurses and they can't wait for you to go and see him Han."

Hanna continued to sob, unable to say anything as she thought about her baby boy alone with people looking after him who weren't her. But then again, if she'd failed to keep him healthy, maybe it was for the best right now. She felt like she couldn't be trusted with him.

"If I talk to Dr. S, maybe we can go and see him now," He said quietly, wiping her cheeks as her body continued to shake.

"I can't," Hanna choked out as she shook her head adamantly.

"Why not?" He asked tenderly, "She'll let us if you can."

"I feel sick," She spluttered, "I can't go there."

"That's okay," He whispered, brushing his hand through her hair again to try and calm her down, "We can go up later."

Hanna nodded as began to breathe again, feeling her body's tiredness overcome her again. She was up and down like a yo yo.

"Are you tired?" He asked tenderly, brushing her cheek as she nodded. "Go back to sleep," He encouraged her, "I just wanted to make sure you saw him."

She nodded tearily, "He looks like you," She sniffled, reaching for his hand again.

Caleb smiled, leaning down to kiss her softly, "I can't wait for you to meet him," He whispered, "And I know he can't wait either. We can go as soon as you're feeling better, okay?"

She nodded again, letting his soothing fingers lull her off into sleep once more. She didn't know if she'd feel less guilt when she woke up. She didn't know if she wanted to.

* * *

 **A little taste of where this is going. Review?**


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